HARDWELL: WHY EVERYONE LOVES HIM

ULTRA INTERVIEW

It’s been an eventful six months for Hardwell with recent releases and tour dates keeping him busy. The Dutch DJ and producer has spent most of the last year touring the world, most recently around Asia with the international Ultra festival series. During his time in Hong Kong for Road to Ultra: Hong Kong, Billboard Radio China sat down with Hardwell to catch up on the last six months of music and touring and to discuss his plans for the future.

With two Hardwell and Friends EPs having been released over the course of this year, Hardwell is exploring new musical styles and influences with a variety of collaborators, both vocalists and producers. Most controversial of the recent releases is the dancehall inspired track Badam, produced with Henry Fong and featuring dancehall vocalist Mr. Vegas. Despite expressing his love for a variety of music and desire to keep from getting stuck in his own musical niche, Hardwell promised he would be staying true to his roots and not disappoint fans who know and love him for his Big Room EDM style.

Over the course of the last few months, the Dutch DJ has crossed paths with a few fellow countrymen in the industry. Most famously, this summer, he made headlines when Afrojack picked him up following an emergency landing in Greece due to mechanical issues on his private plane. The meeting teased an upcoming collaboration between the two artists that has resulted in the recent release of Hands Up featuring MC Ambush. Hardwell has also made headlines more recently following the announcement of a back to back set alongside Trance DJ and producer Armin Van Buuren at the upcoming AMF festival at the annual Amsterdam Dance Event. The pair made the announcement side by side last month in a surprise appearance in Amsterdam that featured a 15 minute teaser of the pairing’s style. Promising something different with a new show of mashups and new releases, Hardwell is clearly excited for the performance next month.

After a long year of touring and production, Hardwell promises he’ll be taking a short vacation to rest and recuperate. That said, fans need not worry as Hardwell Presents Revealed, Vol. 8 is slated for release soon, featuring collaborations with Afrojack and KSHMR among many others.